


A long wait

by Mierke



Category: Nashville (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-27
Updated: 2015-02-27
Packaged: 2018-03-15 12:38:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3447500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mierke/pseuds/Mierke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pre-series AU. Juliette and Avery meet for the first time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A long wait

**Author's Note:**

> Written for February Bingo - "Meet & Greet: Post office queue"

Juliette Barnes was waiting at the post office. Her feet were aching in the high heels she was wearing, and she was pretty tired from her first month out on the road. Her apartment had been a mess when she came home (before she'd left, all that had seemed to exist was the tour, nothing more, nothing _after_ ) and among the humungous amount of bills, fan letters and brochures, she had found a post office slip.

Today had been noted as the last day they'd hold her package, so she had immediately left her now slightly cleaner apartment and made for the post office. She hadn't expected the wait to be this long. At least the pain in her feet would keep her from falling asleep, which is what she most wanted to do right now.

Her mind was solely focused on figuring out who would have sent her what, and she startled when the guy after her suddenly started talking.

"A long wait, huh?"

Turning around, she weighed the chances of this guy being a huge creep against the boredom of having to stand in line on her own for another 30 minutes. In the end, her distaste of boredom won, and she smiled at him.

"Apparently, all of Nashville needs their package right now," she answered.

"For the last 10 minutes," he smiled, "I've been wondering whether to turn around and come back tomorrow. But every time I figured, well, I've already been here for this long, leaving now would be insane. To have this same conversation with myself again 2 minutes later, when it seems like the line isn't getting any shorter."

"So now you have decided to have this conversation with me," she said. "Does that work any better than just talking to yourself?"

He shrugged.

"Beats being alone, right? So why are you waiting in line?"

"Just... picking up a package," she answered. "Last day, so I haven't been holding that same conversation with myself. Also, I'm not crazy."

She turned around again, deciding that for the moment not talking would be preferable. She needed to think of her brand, and no matter who this guy was, he obviously wasn't anyone. He was gorgeous and talking to him might lead to liking him, and she had decided to not let any nobodies into her life. She wanted to rise to the top, and that was all that mattered.

"Aren't we all a little crazy, though?" his voice continued, even though her back was turned to him. "Like you, for example. How high are those heels? And you're wearing them to the post office?

"I will have you know," she said, turning around again to see a smirk on his face that clearly said he'd been goading her. She faltered for a moment, then continued talking. "I will have you know that these are five inch heels, and I have no problem standing in them all day, thank you very much."

"Doesn't seem very comfortable, though," he pointed out. "Who do you expect to meet at the post office? Your idol?"

"Maybe my fans," she bit out, and turned her back to him once more. She was not having this. She was not letting some guy make fun of her perfectly acceptable shoes, no matter how much her feet were hurting. For a moment he was blessedly silent and she let out a sigh of relief.

"Your fans," he then echoed incredulously. "What, you think you're some big country star, or something?"

Juliette took a deep breath and started to count to 10, but hadn't yet reached 5 when she turned around in anger.

"I don't _think_ I'm a country star," she spat at the guy. "I am. My single _Gonna get even_ is topping the charts, so don't you dare insinuate I'm some kind of nobody."

He held up his hands in surrender. 

"Okay, I'm sorry!"

Holding her head up high she turned around, resolving to this time stay looking straight ahead, no matter what the guy threw at her. By the time she had reached the front of the line, and the post office woman recognized her and asked for an autograph for her daughter, she had almost forgotten the altercation.

Almost, but not quite. Not enough to keep her from making sure the guy noticed as she signed the paper with a flourish. As she left, she threw him one last glare.

He had the nerve to smile at her.


End file.
